It gets hot at Walt Disney World, especially in the summer. We all know this, and plan for it, but what can you do when the heat inevitably gets unbearable? Well, you have several options. You can get something cold to drink, which you definitely should do. You can go back to your resort, which I don’t recommend unless you need to. The best option though? Take an air-conditioning break! Where can you take an air-conditioning break, you ask? Well, there are a lot of places that you can take an air-conditioning break, but I’m here to tell you my favorite places. These are the places with the best air-conditioning, or where you get long periods of air-conditioning. Most shows fall into this category, so be prepared for lots of sitting options here, as well. We don’t want anyone getting overheated, heat stroke, or heat exhaustion. Shall we get started?
The Magic Kingdom actually has lots of options for air-conditioning breaks, so I’m only going to mention my favorite ones here. I’m going to go by land, start on the left, and work clockwise from there. Adventureland can get warm, but it has tons of shade to help cool it down. It is also home to two of my favorite cool spots. The Enchanted Tiki Room has a completely covered queue line, and is an indoor show. Since it’s dark inside the theater, it’s fairly cool inside. It makes for a great break from the sun and heat. Pirates of the Caribbean is one of my absolute favorites. It’s also a cool place to hang out for a while, literally. The entire queue line is covered, and most of it is indoors. It’s dark and cool inside, so it’s always a great spot to hang out for a while, even if the line is long. The queue line is pretty interesting to look at, so you shouldn’t have to worry too much about getting bored during your wait. You will feel refreshed and exhilarated coming out of the ride, and ready to take on the rest of the park. Frontierland only has one viable air-conditioning break, and that is The Country Bear Jamboree. While it’s not my favorite attraction, I’m not above stopping here if I need a break for a while. It’s an indoor theater, and the show is pretty cute. Liberty Square is home to the best air-conditioning break at Magic Kingdom: The Hall of Presidents. It’s a 20-minute show in a cool, dark theater with comfortable seats. My dad considers this his favorite nap spot at Magic Kingdom. You have to wait inside the lobby of the theater, and it’s a great place to look around. They have all kinds of displays and pictures to look at, which are great for the history buffs in your group. Fantasyland doesn’t have many options for good air-conditioning breaks, but it does have a couple. Mickey’s PhilharMagic is great. It’s a cute show in an indoor theater, and the queue line is completely indoors as well. Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid is another favorite of mine. While the outdoor portion of the queue line can get very warm, the indoor portion is nice and cool, as is the ride itself. You will feel very refreshed coming out of this ride, and ready to move on to the rest of the park. Tomorrowland is a very warm land with very little shade, but it does have a couple of spots for air-conditioning breaks. My favorite in Tomorrowland is the Carrousel of Progress. While the queue line is completely outdoors, there is rarely ever a wait of more than 5 minutes or so, which doesn’t matter much. The show itself is in a rotating indoor theater, and guarantees you several minutes of a dark, cool, air-conditioning break. The next break isn’t my favorite, but works in a pinch is the Monster’s Inc. Laugh Floor. The queue line is entirely indoors, and the show is actually pretty funny. This will be a great one with kids. That’s all I have for the Magic Kingdom, so let’s move on to EPCOT.
EPCOT has some great air-conditioning breaks. It is the park that has the most opportunities to be indoors than any other park. Here is my list of the best air-conditioning breaks in EPCOT. The Land pavilion is by far the best way to get indoors and out of the heat and elements. Once inside the pavilion, you have 3 attractions, plus two food options. Inside The Land, you will find Soarin’, Living with the Land, Awesome Planet, Garden Grill, and Sunshine Seasons. You have the chance to be inside for hours. It’s fantastic during the heat of the day. Another great pavilion that I can spend hours in is The Seas with Nemo and Friends. I like to ride the attraction in, then spend lots of time inside looking at all of the animals inside. It’s nice and cool in the pavilion, and with tons to do, it’s a great place to chill and get out of the heat. The Disney-Pixar Short Film Festival is great, as well. It’s all indoors, and it’s fairly comfortable and cool. Plus, Mickey meets in the lobby of the theater! Spaceship Earth isn’t a bad way to get some good air-conditioning, but the entire queue line is outdoors, and only partially shaded. Once inside, it’s great, but the wait to get inside can be a bit unbearable at times. The Mexico pavilion is another popular destination for a air-conditioning break. Since almost the entire pavilion is indoors, it can get very popular. There are several dining and shopping options inside, as well as The Grand Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros. It is a great place to get out of the heat, but be warned, in the afternoons, it will be very crowded, and there really isn’t anywhere to sit once inside. Frozen Ever After isn’t a bad option for air-conditioning breaks, either. Most all of the queue line is indoors, and the ride itself can get pretty cool. However, it can get very crowded in the queue line, so it can get a bit stuffy. Just be prepared. Another of my favorite options is The American Adventure. The show is nice and long, in a cool, dark theater with comfortable seats. If you miss the closest show, wait for the next one. You can wait inside, and it has comfortable bench seats all around. There is even a history exhibit to look through. The exhibit changes every so often, so it’s worth taking a look in. Voices of Liberty do performances under the rotunda throughout the day, and they are worth seeing if you get the chance. The theater in the France pavilion is another nice way to get an air-conditioning break. If you go in the morning and early afternoon, you can see the Beauty and the Beast Sing-A-Long. If you go in the evening, you can see Impressions de France. Both shows are great, and there are displays inside the theater lobby that are highlights for stage, film, and fairytale enthusiasts. These are my favorite air-conditioning breaks in EPCOT. Let’s move on to Hollywood Studios.
Hollywood Studios has the least shade of any of the parks. It’s just simply how the park is designed. It also has outdoor shows that, while covered, lack air-conditioning. These shows are fine if you are just looking for ways to get off your feet, but if you’re looking to cool off, they’re not great options. However, it does have some of the best places to get air-conditioning breaks that rarely ever have waits. My favorite air-conditioning break at Hollywood Studios is Walt Disney Presents. It’s a museum to the history of Walt Disney and the Disney company, which is my favorite part. It’s fascinating to see the history of the man and the company. There are also dioramas and models from park history dating all the way back to Disneyland and the most recent project. At the end of the exhibit, there are character meet and greets, as well as a show called Walt Disney: One Man’s Dream, which is a 15-minute documentary about Walt Disney. In the waiting area for the show, there are cases that hold costumes from different movies in Disney history. Another great air-conditioning break is MuppetVision 3D. This is another favorite of mine that never gets old. The waiting area is indoors, as is the theater. It’s comfortable, and you’re guaranteed a good laugh if the Muppets are involved. It’s a must do for me every time I go to Hollywood Studios. An option that is often overlooked by people is Vacation Fun. It’s an original animated short featuring Mickey and Minnie that is really cute. It’s about a 10-minute show in a Mickey-themed theater. It rarely ever has a wait of more than 10 minutes, so this is an easy one to get into. One option that many people love is For the First Time in Forever – A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration. I personally haven’t done this one yet, but it’s on my list the next time I go. There are other options at Hollywood Studios, but these are the only ones that I personally have done and can recommend. The other options are shows geared toward little ones like Lightning McQueen Racing Academy and Disney Junior Dance Party. Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway is nice if you need a break, once you get into the indoor portion of the queue. It’s the same with Rise of the Resistance. Once you get into the indoor portion of the queue, it’s nice and cool inside the attraction. Since it has such a long wait, and is such a long ride, you’re guaranteed quite of a bit of time in the air-conditioning. I think that’s all I have for Hollywood Studios, so we’ll move on to Animal Kingdom.
Animal Kingdom is the hottest of all the parks, which seems strange since it has the most vegetation and shade. It also has the fewest good air-conditioning breaks, so be prepared and stay hydrated when in this park. My favorite air-conditioning break at Animal Kingdom is Finding Nemo: The Big Blue…and Beyond! It’s a great show, and in the cool theater, you get a nice break from the heat. The only downside here is that the wait is entirely outdoors. The good news is that it’s a huge theater, so you shouldn’t have much problem getting inside, unlike my next option. Another show that I love is Festival of the Lion King. It’s an incredible show, and the theater is amazing. However, while much bigger than its old theater, it’s still smaller than Nemo’s. If you want to see this show, get there early. While much of the queue line is covered, depending on what time you get there, you may or may not be under the covering. This is a show that I would recommend getting a Lightning Lane for, if you can. I don’t recommend Lightning Lane often, but this one might be worth it. Unless you have a Lightning Lane, you aren’t guaranteed a seat during the show, so if you don’t have one, get there really early. Another good air-conditioning break is It’s Tough to be a Bug. While this is not a favorite show of mine by any means, I’m willing to do it if I need a break badly enough. The queue line partially shaded, and the theater is indoors. Another decent option is Pandora. Na’vi River Journey has a covered queue line, but it gets warm in there. The ride itself is nice and cool though. It’s similar over at Avatar Flight of Passage. Once you get to the indoor portion of the queue line, it’s nice and cool inside. While these aren’t ideal because you’re still standing, at least you’re cool. That’s all the recommendations I have for air-conditioning breaks at Animal Kingdom.
While these are all great options, don’t forget about the restaurants. Many of the quick-service dining options have indoor dining rooms, and all of the table-service restaurants have indoor dining rooms. If you have no other option available to you, or you can time your meals well, take advantage of the many dining options that Disney has to take a break and cool off. There are tons of ways to beat the heat at Walt Disney World, and these are just a few of the ways. Cold drinks are essential, fans are great, neck fans are fantastic, cooling towels are amazing, misting and water options are incredible. Be mindful though, if you have a hard time tolerating heat, then you may want to consider going in cooler months. November through February are ideal times to consider going to Walt Disney World if you really can’t stand heat. March isn’t bad either, as it can still get cool at night. Keep a check on yourself, and know when you’re overdoing it. Stay hydrated and cool. You don’t want to ruin your vacation because you didn’t take care of yourself. That will ruin your vacation more than missing an attraction or character. I sincerely hope that these tips help you on your next Walt Disney World vacation.
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